NEW  APPRAISAL 


( MiSTiAN  scir!-;*  ■;• 


J 

BP955 
B96 

£ihv<ivy  of  Cb<;  Cheolo^ical  Seminar;? 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

REVEREND  CHARLES  ROSENBURY  ERDMAN 
D.D.,  LL.D. 


CHRISTIAN 
SCIENCE 


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A  NEW  APPRAISAL  \^.<i;^,.;.LSc.:A^ 


OF 


CHRISTIAN 
SCIENCE 

By      V 
JOSEPH  DUNN   BURRELL 


FUNK   &   WAGNALLS    COMPANY 

NEW   YORK   AND   LONDON 
1906 


Copyright,  1906,  by 
FUNK  &  WAGNAIvIyS  COMPANY 
^Printed  in  the  United  Stales  of  America] 
Published,  September,  1906 


A  NEW   APPRAISAL 

OF 

CHRISTIAN    SCIENCE 


w 


iTHiN  forty  years  we  have 
seen  the  rise  and  spread  of 
what  is  known  as  Christian 
Science,  which  to-day  has  thou- 
sands of  adherents,*  possesses 
some  of  the  handsomest  edifices 
of  worship  in  the  land,  and  in 
no  uncertain  tones  prophesies  its 
ultimate  conquest  of  the  world, 
on  the  ground  that  it,  and  it  alone, 
possesses  the  truth  of  God.     The 

*  Dr.  Carroll's  latest  official  figures  give  the  Chris- 
tian Scientists  71,114  members. 


Christian  Science 


passage  of  time  has  disclosed  its 
character  with  some  definiteness, 
and  our  familiarity  with  it  makes 
possible  a  fresh  appraisal. 

In  forming  a  broad  estimate  of 
it,  some  knowledge  of  its  founder 
and  the  manner  of  its  origin  are 
indispensable. 

Mary  Baker  was  born  in  1821 
at  the  village  of  Bow,  three  miles 
south  of  Concord,  New  Hamp- 
shire. Her  parents  were  people 
with  the  ordinary  New  England 
characteristics.  In  childhood  she 
showed  a  high-wrought  tempera- 
ment, and  was  subject  to  hallu- 
cinations, at  the  age  of  eight  de- 
claring that  she  heard  strange 
voices    speaking    to    her.        The 


Its  Origin  and  Chai^acter 

family  removed  to  Tilton,  New 
Hampshire,  eighteen  miles  from 
Concord,  where  Mary  united  with 
the  Congregational  Church  at  the 
age  of  twelve.  There  followed 
that  period  of  mental  and  spiritual 
unrest  which  psychologists  now 
regard  as  part  of  our  natural  de- 
velopment in  the  critical  years 
when  we  are  passing  from  child- 
hood into  manhood  and  woman- 
hood. Those  were  sad  years  for 
this  high-strung  girl,  years  of  great 
physical  weakness  and  suffering. 
Part  of  the  time  she  took  only 
one  meal  a  day,  and  that  consisting 
only  of  bread,  vegetables,  and 
water. 

During  this  time  she   acquired 


Christian  Science 


in  fragments  a  common-school 
education,  which  is  said  to  have 
gone  as  far  as  physics,  logic,  and 
ethics.  She  says  that  she  also  took 
lessons  of  a  brother,  a  college 
graduate,  in  Latin,  Greek,  and 
Hebrew.  Of  these  there  are  no 
traces  in  her  writings,  except  some 
meager  references  to  Latin. 

At  Canterbury,  near  Tilton,  was 
a  settlement  of  Shakers.  They 
were  mystics  and  claimed  to  have 
constant  revelations  from  God. 
Their  chief  book  was  called 
"•  Holy,  Sacred,  and  Divine  Roll 
and  Book  of  the  United  Society 
of  Believers."  For  certain  alleged 
irregularities  some  of  these  Sha- 
kers were  brought  to  trial  at  Con- 


Its  Origin  and  Character 


cord    in    November,  1848.     Their 
counsel  was  Franklin  Pierce,  with 
whose  office  Mary  Baker's  lawyer 
brother  was  associated.     U  ndoubt- 
edly  she  had  knowledge  of  these 
Shakers   and  their  claim  to  have 
immediate  revelations  from  God. 
In  her  own  history  of   her  life, 
her  first  reference  to  marriage  is 
in   connection   with   the    name  of 
George  M.  Glover,  to  whom  she 
was  united  in   1843.     He  died  in 
the  following  year.     She  was  now 
a  fairly  confirmed   invalid,  trying 
in  turn  every  kind  of  cure  known, 
including  through   a  long    course 
of     years    the    ordinary    medical 
treatment,  homeopathy,  the  water 
cure,  electricity  and  later  on  mes- 


Christian  Science 


merism  and  spiritualism.  She  had, 
it  has  been  said,  "the  sanitarium 
habit." 

A  second  marriage  was  effected 
between  her  and  a  Doctor  Patter- 
son, a  dentist,  about  i860.  This 
husband  proved  unfaithful,  and 
eventually  she  secured  a  divorce 
from  him.  In  1861  he  wrote  to 
one  Phineas  P.  Ouimby,  a  Maine 
blacksmith,  who  had  attained  con- 
siderable celebrity  as  a  so-called 
magnetic  healer,  from  which  came 
his  title  of  doctor.  Animal  Mag- 
netism, as  it  was  named,  was  intro- 
duced to  the  New  England  mind 
it  is  thought  by  Charles  Poyen,  a 
Frenchman,  who  as  early  as  1837 
wrote  a  book  called  ''  The  Prog- 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

ress  of  Animal  Magnetism  in  New 
England."  In  this  book  he  tells 
of  having  visited  the  places  where 
Mrs.  Baker  was  brought  up.  It  is 
likely  that  she  was  familiar  with 
the  subject  in  girlhood,  and  knew 
its  odd  language  even  before  she 
sought  Doctor  Quimby  in  1861. 
In  consulting  Doctor  Quimby, 
Doctor  Patterson  said  his  wife  had 
been  bed-ridden  for  six  years. 
Quimby  cured  Mrs.  Patterson,  of 
course  without  medicine,  and  she 
was  immensely  grateful  to  him. 
In  the  official  tract  ''Christian 
Science:  Historical  Facts,"  by  Al- 
fred Farlow,  1902,  an  attempt  is 
made  to  belittle  this  cure.  But 
over  against  this  is  to  be  set  the 


Christian  Science 


following  testimony  by  Mrs.  Pat- 
terson herself  from  the  Portland 
Eve7zing  Courier  in  1862:  ''Three 
weeks  since  I  quitted  my  nurse 
and  sick  room  en  route  for  Port- 
land. The  belief  of  my  recovery 
had  died  out  of  the  hearts  of  those 
who  were  most  anxious  for  it. 
With  this  mental  and  physical  de- 
pression I  first  visited  P.  P.  Quim- 
by,  and  in  less  than  one  week  from 
that  time  I  ascended  by  a  stairway 
of  182  steps  to  the  dome  of  the 
City  Hall  and  am  improving  ad 
infinitum  J" 

Concerning  the  connection  be- 
tween Dr.  Ouimby's  ideas  and 
those  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  "Science 
and  Health"  the  fiercest  contro- 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

versy  has  raged.  She  denies  in 
emphatic  and  even  heated  words 
that  she  derived  her  system  or 
any  part  of  it  from  him.  But  the 
relationship  between  them  was 
very  close.  The  manuscript  copy 
which  she  made  of  an  unpublished 
treatise  by  him  is  still  in  existence. 
And  as  late  as  1868  she  acted  as  a 
propagator  of  his  system.  In  that 
year  she  went  to  Stoughton,  Mas- 
sachusetts, to  live  for  a  time  in 
the  home  of  Mrs.  A.  C.  Went- 
worth,  in  order  to  teach  the  sys- 
tem to  her.  Dr.  Quimby  had  the 
ideas  and  used  the  terms  which 
she  has  since  made  well  known. 
He  said  that  his  system  was  drawn 
from  the  Bible,  and  declared  that 


Christian  Scie7ice 


it  is  truth  that  heals.  He  spoke 
of  the  "  Science  of  Health,"  used 
the  term  "  Christian  Science,"  and 
made  these  statements  :  '*  Truth  is 
health,"  "God  is  principle,"  ''mat- 
ter is  an  error,"  which  are  among 
Mrs.  Eddy's  leading  phrases.  It  is 
asserted  that  at  the  time  a  friend 
said  to  Dr.  Quimby  that  Mrs.  Pat- 
terson would  "steal  his  ideas  and 
set  up  for  herself."  But  he  said 
he  did  not  care.  Afterward  he 
said  she  "had  no  identity  in  hon- 
esty," whatever  that  may  mean. 

And  yet  even  Dr.  Quimby  was 
not  the  originator  of  these  ideas 
and  phrases.  They  were  known 
earlier  in  the  Forties  through  the 
ponderous  volumes  of  Andrew 
14 


Its  Origin  and  Character 


Jackson  Davis,  the  Poughkeepsie 
spiritualist  and  clairvoyant,  which 
Theodore  Parker  is  said  to  have 
pronounced  the  literary  marvel  of 
the  Nineteenth  century.  Davis  is 
now  forgotten,  but  reference  to 
him  may  be  found  in  the  Encyclo- 
paedia Britannica,  and  at  more 
length  in  the  American  Cyclo- 
paedia of  Biography.  In  1845  he 
published  ''  The  Principles  of  Na- 
ture," in  1850-1861,  ''The  Great 
Harmonia,"  in  five  volumes.  From 
his  ''Sacred  Gospels  of  Arabula" 
I  copy  the  following :  "  Love,  seek 
and  speak  the  truth.  Abhor,  ex- 
pose and  overcome  error.  Culti- 
vate health,  industry,  cheerfulness. 
Worship     and     obey    henceforth 


15 


Christian  Science 


and  forever  these  six  principles: 
Love,  Wisdom,  Goodness,  Justice, 
Beauty,  and  Truth."  Davis  called 
his  ideas  ''  Divine  Science,"  and 
calls  God  ''  Principle." 

The  fact  is,  ideas  and  words  of 
this  sort  were  in  the  air  when  Mrs. 
Eddy  was  a  girl.  It  can  not  be 
doubted  that  she  took  them  up. 

The  year  1866  was  marked  by  a 
serious  injury  to  Mrs.  Patterson, 
through  a  fall  on  the  ice  at  Lynn. 
This  accident  gains  an  adventi- 
tious importance  because  of  the 
connection  with  it  of  the  supposed 
revelation  of  the  system  of  Chris- 
tian Science  to  the  sufferer.  And 
the  fatal  character  of  the  accident 
is  clearly  emphasized.  But  the 
16 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

testimony  of  the  physician  who 
treated  Mrs.  Patterson  is  that  he 
never  at  any  time  believed  or  said 
that  she  was  in  a  critical  condition, 
or  that  there  was  no  hope  for  her. 
A  writer  in  the  Psychological  Re- 
view points  out  that  Mrs.  Eddy 
has  given  four  distinct  and  consid- 
erably divergent  accounts  of  this 
experience.  The  first  says  that 
the  patient  suffered  two  weeks 
after  the  accident.  The  second 
says  that  the  accident  was  pro- 
nounced fatal,  but  that  the  reading 
of  Matthew  ix  :  2  restored  health 
by  the  revelation  that  life  is  the 
sole  reality.  The  third  account 
says  that  the  recovery  was  by 
means  of  a  demonstration  that  the 


Christian  Science 


principle  or  life  of  man  is  a  divine 
intelligence  and  power.  The 
fourth,  latest  and  fullest  account 
from  the  same  pen  says:  "  I  could 
not  explain  the  modus  of  my  re- 
lief." But  after  a  retirement  of 
three  years  for  Bible  study  the 
explanation  came  in  the  form  of 
Christian  Science. 

A  recent  official  Christian  Sci- 
ence statement  by  Mr.  W.  S.  Mat- 
tox,  of  the  C.  S.  Publication  Com- 
mittee for  the  State  of  New  York, 
is  that  ''  Mrs.  Eddy  does  not  claim 
that  the  fundamentals  of  Christian 
Science  are  original  with  her.  She 
says  that  Christian  Science  is 
Truth,  the  Word  of  God,  and  that 
it  has  existed  forever,  to  be  dis- 

i8 


Its  Orighi  and  Character 

cerned  and  practised.  She  has 
simply  reiterated  what  was  voiced 
by  the  long  line  of  the  prophets, 
culminating  in  the  career  of  Jesus." 
This  gives  a  somewhat  new  turn 
to  her  position,  but  it  leaves  un- 
modified the  claim  to  have  discov- 
ered or  rediscovered  what  other- 
wise was  unknown  to  her  genera- 
tion. 

Repeatedly,  in  *' Science  and 
Health,"  it  is  asserted  that  the 
system  of  ideas  therein  set  forth 
came  to  her  as  an  immediate  reve- 
lation from  God,  and  that  it  had 
no  connection  with  any  contem- 
porary person's  ideas  or  ways  of 
healing.  Whereas  the  facts  before 
us  show  that  her  method  of  heal- 

19 


Christian  Science 


ing  without  medicine,  and  her  doc- 
trines that  go  with  it,  and  even  her 
very  phrases,  were  all  current  and 
were  known  to  her.  Moreover, 
her  four  accounts  of  the  way  her 
revelation  came  differ  irreconcila- 
bly among  themselves,  and  exhibit 
a  gradual  enlargement  and  in- 
crease in  definiteness. 

Must  it  be  inferred  from  this 
that  Mrs.  Eddy  is  given  to  delib- 
erate untruth?  Not  necessarily. 
But,  remembering  her  high- 
wrought,  nervous  temperament, 
her  prolonged  and  prostrating  ill- 
nesses, her  tendency  to  hallucina- 
tions, her  saturation  for  years  with 
all  kinds  of  strange  and  mystical 
teachings,  it   is   scarcely  possible 


Its  Origin  a7id  Character 

that  her  own  account  of  what  hap- 
pened to  her  more  than  a  genera- 
tion ago  should  escape  coloring 
from  her  own  feelings,  medita- 
tions, and  desires.  In  other  words, 
she  is  not  a  valuable  witness  on 
things  concerning  herself.  She  is 
not  the  only  example  of  the  kind 
by  any  means.  The  type  is  a  fairly 
common  one.  In  all  such  cases, 
leaving  the  question  of  moral  ob- 
liquity aside,  it  is  necessary  that 
we  should  stand  by  the  facts  rather 
than  by  the  account  of  them  given 
by  the  party  most  interested,  and 
for  that  very  reason  least  capable 
of  giving  an  uncolored  presenta- 
tion of  them. 

The  next  year  after  her  second 


Christian  Science 


cure,  she  began  to  teach  healing 
without  medicine.  In  1870  her 
ideas  appeared  in  pamphlet  form. 
In  1875  the  first  edition  of  ''Sci- 
ence and  Health  "  appeared.  Since 
then  it  has  gone  through  repeated 
corrections,  a  fact  to  be  considered 
in  view  of  the  assertion  that  at  the 
start  it  was  a  direct  revelation 
from  God.  One  would  scarcely 
suppose  that  a  divine  revelation 
would  need  correction. 

In  1877  she  was  married  to  Dr. 
Asa  G.  Eddy,  who  died  in  1882. 
In  1 88 1  a  healing  school  was 
opened  in  Boston,  and  called  the 
''Metaphysical  College."  It  had 
seven  thousand  pupils  in  seven 
years.     Later  Mrs.  Eddy  became 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

pastor  of  the  First  Church  of 
Christ,  Scientist,  in  Boston,  and 
editor  of  the  Christian  Science 
Journal.  In  1889  she  retired  from 
public  view  to  the  seclusion  of  her 
home  in  Concord.  Attention  has 
been  called  frequently  to  the  fact 
that  the  Christian  Science  move- 
ment has  been  enormously  profit- 
able financially.  It  is  said  that  in 
all  Mrs.  Eddy  has  had  three  thou- 
sand personal  pupils  whom  she 
charged  three  hundred  dollars 
apiece  for  her  course  of  study. 
"Science  and  Health"  has  been 
sold  to  the  number  of  more  than 
three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand, 
at  from  three  to  five  dollars  a  copy. 
From  these  two  sources  alone  she 

23 


Christian  Science 


has  derived  over  a  million  and  a 
half  dollars.  Mrs.  Eddy's  follow- 
ers defend  her  by  citing  the  Bib- 
lical saying,  ''the  laborer  is  worthy 
of  his  hire."  But  this  has  always 
been  supposed  to  mean  no  more 
than  that  it  is  right  and  proper 
that  he  who  gives  his  whole  time 
to  the  work  of  the  Gospel  should 
have  his  earthly  needs  met  by 
those  whom  he  serves.  It  has  never 
been  thought  that  it  gave  license 
to  the  desire  to  obtain  wealth. 
What  the  apostles  thought  of  that 
sort  of  degradation  of  religion  we 
see  in  the  story  of  Simon  Magus. 
The  Christian  world  has  always 
judged  that  the  Christian  worker 
who  uses  his  office  to  get  rich  dis- 
24 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

honors  his  Master  who  made  Him- 
self poor  for  our  sake.  But  it  may 
be  said  that  Mrs.  Eddy's  case 
ought  rather  to  be  compared  with 
that  of  our  famous  physicians  and 
their  large  incomes.  But  one  dif- 
ference is  here  :  that  no  physician 
claims  to  be  the  only  revealer  in 
our  day  of  God's  truth  to  men. 
That  was  an  extraordinary  state  of 
mind,  to  put  it  in  the  mildest  form, 
which  permitted  one  to  claim  the 
monopoly  of  truth  and  then,  in- 
stead of  using  every  method  to 
give  it  out  freely  for  the  benefit  of 
humanity,  after  the  manner  of 
Christ  and  His  apostles,  to  dole  it 
out  with  the  shrewd  bargaining 
spirit  of  the  stock  market.     Chris- 

25 


Christian  Science 


tian  Science  has  scarcely  taken  for 
its  motto,  "  freely  ye  have  re- 
ceived, freely  give." 

And  here  it  ought  to  be  said 
that  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
things  about  Mrs.  Eddy,  which  is, 
in  no  small  degree,  the  cause  of 
the  success  of  Christian  Science, 
is  her  practical  shrewdness,  which 
has  led  her  to  incorporate  her  sys- 
tem of  ideas  in  institutional  form. 
First  of  all,  there  is  the  book,  the 
reading  of  which  is  one  of  the 
modes  of  cure.  Then  there  is  the 
construction  of  certain  specific  for- 
mulas or  prayers,  which  are  to  be 
used  in  a  prescribed  method  in 
cases  of  sickness.  Then  there  is 
the  literature,  in  book  and  maga- 
26 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

zine  form,  which  constitutes  an 
aggressive  propaganda.  Then 
there  is  the  actual  erection  of  spe- 
cial edifices  for  the  services  of 
the  cult,  which,  of  itself,  gives  it  a 
certain  definiteness  and  stability. 
Above  all  these,  there  is  the  elab- 
orated organization  of  the  church 
in  all  its  branches,  every  detail 
prescribed,  every  officer  and  his 
duties  named  and  restricted,  with 
Mrs.  Eddy  herself  as  the  supreme 
head,  having  absolute  power  to  do 
whatever  seems  to  her  best  in  the 
government  of  the  society,  without 
check  from  any  committee  or  coun- 
cil of  any  sort.  It  is  singular  that 
in  this  democratic  age,  when  gov- 
ernment   by   the    people    is    the 

27 


Christian  Science 


watchword  of  all  social  progress, 
there  should  have  sprung  up  in 
America,  the  land  par  excellence 
of  democracy,  a  social  institution 
of  a  religious  sort,  constituted  upon 
strictly  monarchical  lines,  and  more 
autocratic  than  the  Salvation 
Army,  the  Order  of  Jesuits,  or 
even  the  Papacy  itself. 

We  have  now  before  us  the  facts 
of  Mrs.  Eddy's  life,  the  history  of 
the  origin  of  her  ideas,  and  the 
methods  by  which  they  have  been 
exploited.  It  is  only  too  plain 
that  a  careful  consideration  of  this 
evidence  is  distinctly  damaging  to 
her  claims.  Surely  it  is  not  in 
such  an  uncertain  moral  atmos- 
phere as  this  that  we  are  likely  to 
28 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

get  a  comprehension  of  the  eternal 
verities. 

Passing  on  from  these  consid- 
erations, let  us  now  form  an  esti- 
mate of  the  ideas  of  Christian 
Science  on  their  own  merits.  The 
most  concise  statement  of  them  is 
contained  in  the  creed  of  the  First 
Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  in  Bos- 
ton. Here  it  is :  ''  First,  as  ad- 
herents of  Truth,  we  take  the  in- 
spired word  of  the  Bible  as  our 
sufficient  guide  to  eternal  life. 
Second,  we  acknowledge  and 
adore  one  supreme  and  infinite 
God  ;  we  acknowledge  one  Christ 
— His  Son  Christ  Jesus  ;  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  the  divine  Comforter ; 
and   man    His  divine    image    and 

29 


Christian  Science 


likeness.  Third,  we  acknowledge 
God's  forgiveness  of  sin  in  the  de- 
struction of  sin,  and  in  the  under- 
standing that  evil  and  sin  are  un- 
real, hence  not  eternal.  But  the 
belief  in  sin  is  punished,  so  long  as 
it  lasts.  Fourth,  we  acknowledge 
Christ's  atonement  as  the  evidence 
of  divine  and  efficacious  Love,  un- 
folding man's  unity  with  God 
through  Jesus  Christ  the  Way- 
shower.  Fifth,  we  acknowledge 
that  man  is  saved  through  Christ 
— through  divine  Truth,  Life,  and 
Love — demonstrated  by  the  Gali- 
lean Prophet  in  the  healing  of 
the  sick  and  the  overcoming  of  sin 
and  death.  Also,  that  the  cruci- 
fixion of  Jesus  and  His  resurrec- 
30 


Its  Origin  and  Character 


tion  were  designed  to  elevate 
human  faith  and  understanding  to 
the  spiritual  perception  of  the 
eternal  existence  of  the  good  and 
the  real  in  man.  Sixth,  we  sol- 
emnly promise  to  strive,  watch, 
and  pray  for  that  Mind  to  be  in  us 
which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus ;  to 
love  one  another,  and  to  be  meek, 
merciful,  just,  and  pure." 

As  we  read  these  words  it  is 
evident  that,  to  most  of  them,  all 
Christians  give  hearty  assent.  Can 
it  be  that  we  are  all  Christian  Sci- 
entists without  knowing  it  ?  One 
is  tempted  to  ask  why  Christian 
Science  has  left  our  churches* 
where  most  of  these  things  are 
taught,  and  set  up  a  new  church 

31 


Christian  Science 


of  its  own,  a  course  which  is  obvi- 
ously inconsistent  with  the  in- 
creasing tendency  toward  closer 
fellowship,  and  even  union  among 
the  churches  of  our  day. 

But  as  we  go  deeper  into  Chris- 
tian Science  we  find  that  while  it 
uses  words  with  which  we  are  all 
familiar,  it  puts  new  and  strange 
meanings  into  them.  It  is  cer- 
tainly open  to  just  criticism  at  this 
point.  Of  course,  its  advocates 
can  define  words  to  suit  them- 
selves. But  that  all  may  be  sin- 
cere and  above  board,  they  surely 
ought  not  to  allow  the  impression 
to  exist  that  their  ideas  are  those 
of  Christians  in  general,  merely  be- 
cause they  use  the  familiar  words. 
32 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

Either  it  agrees  with  us  or  it  does 
not.     If  it  does,  it  should  not  have 
left  the  Christian  Church.      If  it 
does  not,  it  is  scarcely  honest  for 
its  authorized  lecturers  to  give  out 
the  impression  that  it  does.     Is  it 
quite    honorable    for    their    chief 
platform  representative  to  read  off 
the  broadest  sections  of  their  creed 
and  appeal  to  us  if  we  do  not  agree 
with  them,  when  he  knows  that  he 
does  not  mean  by  them  what  we 
do  ?     This  looks  suspiciously  like 
a  trap  to  catch  the  unwary.     Sure- 
ly, in  dealing  with  such  a  solemn 
business    as    religion,    scrupulous 
sincerity  is  the  first  requisite. 

It    becomes    necessary   for   us, 
therefore,  to  go  back  of  the  Chris- 


33 


Christian  Science 


tian  Science  creed  to  inquire  more 
fully  as  to  its  meaning.  This  is 
authoritatively  given  in  "  Science 
and  Health." 

A  condensed  statement  therein 
given  is  as  follows  :  that  "  all  real 
being  is  in  the  divine  mind  and 
idea;  that  Life,  Truth,  and  Love 
are  all-powerful  and  ever-present ; 
that  the  opposite  of  Truth — called 
error,  sin,  sickness,  disease,  death 
— is  a  false  testimony  of  false  ma- 
terial sense  ;  that  this  false  sense 
evolves,  in  belief,  a  subjective  state 
of  mortal  mind,  which  this  same 
mind  calls  matter,  thereby  shutting 
out  the  true  sense  of  the  Spirit." 

Here  are  the  so-called  funda- 
mental propositions:    '' i.   God  is 

34 


Its  Origin  and  Character 


all  in  all.  2.  God  is  good — Good 
is  Mind.  3.  God,  Spirit,  being  all, 
nothing  is  matter.  4.  Life,  God, 
omnipotent  good,  deny  death,  evil, 
sin,  disease. — Disease,  sin,  evil, 
death,  deny  Good,  omnipotent 
God,  Life." 

Going  more  into  detail  we  find 
the  following  positions:  i.  Con- 
cerning God.  God  is  everywhere, 
is  wholly  loving  and  has  all  power. 
"  God  is  not  person."  He  is  the 
Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  it  is  true,  but  these  three 
are  Truth,  Life  and  Love,  respect- 
ively. 

2.  Concerning  man.  Man  is  a 
reflection  of  the  universal  Intelli- 
gence.    ''  The    Science  of    Being 

35 


Christia7i  Science 


reveals  man  as  perfect,  even  as 
the  Father  is  perfect;  because  the 
Soul,  or  Mind,  of  man  is  God." 
He  is  eternal,  from  everlasting  to 
everlasting,  like  God  the  Father. 

3.  Concerning  the  world.  There 
is  nothing  material,  because  the 
only  reality  is  Spirit. 

4.  Concerning  trouble.  As  God 
is  the  only  reality,  and  God  is 
good,  and  evil  can  not  come  from 
good,  it  is  impossible  that  evil 
should  be.  And  in  fact  it  does 
not  exist.  It  is  only  the  imagina- 
tion of  man's  mortal  mind.  There 
is  no  sin,  nor  pain,  nor  disease, 
nor  death.  We  only  dream  such 
things.  ''  They  are  only  false  be- 
liefs." 

36 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

5.  Concerning  man's  privilege. 
He  lives  in  God,  and  it  is  his  right 
to  assert  truth,  goodness  and  life 
against  their  opposites,  and  so 
make  the  real  exclude  the  false. 
We  should  overcome  sin,  sickness 
and  death,  by  asserting  their  non- 
existence, or  rather  the  existence 
of  God,  when  we  find  that  our 
imagination  of  them  vanishes  and 
we  are  free  from  them.  ''They 
expect  to  overcome  evil  by  deny- 
ing it  any  existence."     (Mattox.) 

Now  let  us  inquire  by  what 
method  the  endeavor  to  establish 
these  ideas  is  made.  The  claim  is 
that  it  is  double,  scientific,  and 
Biblical. 

Is  it  scientific  in    the    ordinary 

37 


Christian  Science 


sense?  '*  What  is  Science?  Is  it 
not  the  orderly  arrangement  of 
ascertained  facts;  is  it  not  know- 
ing something;  is  not  that  the 
root  meaning  of  the  word  ?  '* 
(Mattox.)  In  this  confusion  of 
knowledge  with  science  we  have 
a  fair  illustration  of  the  Christian 
Scientists'  loose  and  inexact  way 
of  using  words.  Possibly  science 
might  in  a  general  way  be  called 
"knowing something," but  ** know- 
ing something"  assuredly  is  not 
necessarily  science.  ''  Are  there 
no  ascertained  facts  about  God 
which  constitute  Science,  the 
Science  of  all  existence,  the  Science 
of  all  sciences?"  "Jesus  knew 
something  definite  about  God  and 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

His  everlasting  laws,  about  His 
perfect  creation.  What  He  knew 
was  Science,  by  every  test  which 
can  be  applied  to  that  word." 
(Do.)  Expressions  like  these  in- 
dicate how  far  the  Christian  Scien- 
tist is  from  a  comprehension  of 
the  current  meaning  of  the  term 
science.  In  fact,  the  spelling  of 
the  word  science  in  the  passages 
quoted  always  with  a  capital  letter 
indicates  that  he  is  giving  a  pe- 
culiar esoteric  meaning  to  the 
word:  what  he  always  means  is 
Christian  Science.  It  is  this  sort 
of  double  play  on  words  that  raises 
a  feeling  of  insincerity  in  deal- 
ing with  Christian  Science  argu- 
ments. 


Christian  Science 


If  we  use  the  word  science  in 
Mrs.  Eddy's  own  peculiar  sense  to 
designate  her  special  attitude  to- 
ward the  truth,  in  that  sense  and 
that  sense  only,  is  the  method 
scientific.  Careless  or  half-in- 
formed readers  looking  into  **  Sci- 
ence and  Health  "  and  seeing  there 
the  claim  that  this  and  that  state- 
ment are  ''  scientifically  demon- 
strated" may  fancy  that  here  is 
something  to  be  set  beside  the  work 
of  Newton,  Faraday,  Darwin,  and 
Huxley.  Such  is  not  the  fact.  Of 
the  scientist's  careful  and  long 
training  of  the  mind,  his  exhaus- 
tive knowledge  of  history,  his 
minute  and  vast  observation  of 
facts,  his  cautious  inductions,  there 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

is  nothing  in  Mrs.  Eddy's  book. 
Neither  in  natural  ability  nor  edu- 
cation has  she  capacity  in  this  direc- 
tion. And,  in  fact,  denying  the  ex- 
istence of  matter,  it  is  plain  that  to 
her  what  we  ordinarily  call  science 
is  impossible,  since  the  materials 
for  it  do  not  exist.  It  is  unfortunate 
that  the  word  science  should  have 
been  used  in  connection  with  the 
system  of  ''Divine  Healing,"  as  it 
is  certain  to  mislead. 

And  what  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  Bib- 
lical method?  For  she  maintains 
that  her  ideas  are  based  on  the 
Bible.  As  we  read  we  discover 
interpretations  of  Biblical  passages 
such  as  have  never  been  met  with 
before.     The  question  is  raised  at 


41 


Christian  Science 


once,  is  she  entitled  to  put  these 
meanings  into  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
Christian  Scientists  say  in  self- 
defense  that  they  merely  claim  the 
right  to  read  the  Bible  for  them- 
selves. Can  any  one  deny  them 
that  right?  Assuredly  not.  But 
neither  they  nor  any  one  else  have 
any  moral  right  to  give  to  the 
Bible  any  other  meaning  than  that 
which  belongs  to  it.  And  what  is 
that?  The  meaning  it  had  to  those 
for  whom  it  was  written  in  the 
first  place.  The  Bible  is  a  deep 
book,  for  it  deals  with  deep  sub- 
jects; but  it  is  also  a  simple  book; 
it  must  be  so  in  the  nature  of  the 
case,  for  it  was  meant  for  the  com- 
mon people.     The  simplest  mean- 


Its  Orzgifi  and  Chai^acter 

ing  therefore   is  likely  to  be  the 
correct  one. 

To  be  sure,  all  kinds  of  mean- 
ings have  been  ascribed  to  the 
Bible  by  different  interpreters,  and 
consequently  many  types  of  Chris- 
tianity have  come  into  existence. 
Bossuet  held  that  Protestantism 
could  not  be  true  because  of  its 
divisions,  and  Christian  Science 
uses  the  same  argument.  ''  There 
are  about  700  different  religious 
sects,  each  claiming  to  understand 
and  practise  the  teachings  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  each  of  them  differs 
more  or  less  from  all  the  others." 
The  founder  of  each  of  these  sects 
did  just  what  Mrs.  Eddy  claims 
the    right   to    do:    **he   based  his 

43 


Christian  Science 


creed  on  his  interpretation  of  the 
Bible."     (Mattox.) 

But  it  is  to  be  said  in  reply  that 
no  matter  what  fantastic  interpre- 
tations of  the  Bible  have  obtained 
in  ages  past  (Origen's,  for  ex- 
ample, which  go  beyond  Mrs. 
Eddy's  on  her  own  lines),  to-day 
there  is  substantial  agreement  in 
the  Christian  world  as  to  the  cor- 
rect method  of  interpretation  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures  and  as  to  their 
meaning.  It  agrees  that  Mrs. 
Eddy's  method  is  defunct  and  im- 
possible. Her  method  of  inter- 
preting the  Bible  is  allegorical. 
She  does  not  take  words  in  their 
plain  sense,  but  gives  them  a  fanci- 
ful meaning  of  her  own.     Adam  is 

44 


Its  Origin  and  Chai^acter 

not  merely  a  man's  name,  its  true 
meaning  is  error.  Angels  are  not 
beings  of  a  class  superior  to  men, 
they  are  good  thoughts.  Canaan 
means  a  sensuous  belief.  Dan 
means  animal  magnetism.  Dove 
is  a  symbol  of  Divine  Science. 
Jerusalem  means  mortal  belief. 
And  so  on  indefinitely.  The  fol- 
lowing is  the  manner  in  which  this 
method  of  interpretation  deals  with 
the  story  of  Jacob  wrestling  with 
the  angel  :  "  Jacob  was  alone, 
wrestling  with  error,  struggling 
with  the  mortal  sense  of  life,  sub- 
stance, and  intelligence  as  existent 
in  matter  with  its  false  pleasure 
and  pains,  when  an  angel,  a  mes- 
sage  from    Truth    and  Love,  ap- 

45 


Ch ristia n  Scte?ice 


peared  to  him  and  smote  the 
sinew,  or  strength,  his  error,  till  it 
became  powerless ;  and  thereby 
Truth,  being  understood,  gave  him 
spiritual  strength  in  this  Peniel  of 
Divine  Science."  As  we  are  bound 
to  believe  that  the  object  of  lan- 
guage is  to  reveal  thought,  not  to 
conceal  it,  it  is  difficult  to  think 
that  the  story  of  Jacob  was  ever 
meant  to  convey  any  such  erratic 
ideas  as  those  indicated. 

See  what  Mrs.  Eddy  makes  of 
the  Lord's  Prayer  by  this  method. 
Here  is  the  interlinear  interpreta- 
tion of  that  prayer  which  is  read 
every  Sunday  in  connection  with 
it  in  every  Christian  Science 
church : 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

"  Adorable  One. 

Thy  Kingdom  is  come;  good  is  ever- 
present  and  omnipotent. 
Enable  us  to  know — as  in  Heaven,  so 

on  earth — God  is  all  in  all. 
Give  us  grace  for  to-day ;   feed  thou 

the  famished  affections  ; 
And  divine  Love  is  reflected  in  love  ; 
And  leadeth  us  not  in  temptation,  but 

delivereth  us  from  evil,  sin,  disease, 

and  death. 
For   God   is  omnipresent   Good,  the 

only   Substance,   Life,   Truth,    and 

Love." 

When  our  Savior  taught  us  to 
pray  the  Lord's  Prayer  is  it  con- 
ceivable that  he  did  not  know  what 
he  meant  Himself  and  that  there- 
after nobody  else  ever  knew  until 
Mrs.  Eddy  told  us?  It  is  incred- 
ible. Not  an  angel  from  heaven 
could  convince  us  that  Christ  was 

47 


Christian  Science 


mistaken  In  putting  his  tenses  into 
the  future,  and  that  they  should 
all  be  turned  into  presents.  To 
tamper  with  the  words  of  our  Lord, 
change  them  in  our  own  interest 
and  make  them  mean  what  He  did 
not  mean  at  all  by  them  if  there 
is  any  honesty  in  speech,  would 
seem  to  the  average  Christian 
something  very  like  sacrilege. 

Passing  from  Mrs.  Eddy's  meth- 
ods to  her  ideas,  it  is  to  be  said 
that  her  system  belongs  under  the 
philosophic  head  of  idealism,  that 
is,  the  theory  that  there  Is  no  real- 
ity but  thought.  This  theory,  of 
course,  is  not  original  with  her. 
It  goes  back  to  the  early  ages  of 
human  life.  It  first  appeared  in 
48 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

India  where  it  survives  in  Bud- 
dhism which  teaches  that  all  that 
we  see  about  us  is  illusion — Maya. 
It  was  perpetuated  and  developed 
in  the  Neo-Platonists  of  the  early 
Christian  centuries.  Two  hun- 
dred years  ago  it  came  into  view 
in  the  writings  of  Bishop  Berkeley. 
But  pure  idealism  has  never  won 
a  very  extensive  conquest  among 
men.  Nor  is  it  ever  likely  to  do 
so  permanently,  even  in  the  form 
of  Christian  Science.  For  the 
ordinary  man  will  believe  his 
senses.  He  is  perfectly  aware 
that  they  are  not  infallible,  he 
knows  that  they  sometimes  de- 
ceive. But  his  experience,  which 
agrees  with  that  of  his  fellow  men, 

49 


Christian  Science 


assures  him  that  on  the  whole  they 
are  trustworthy  and  sufficiently 
competent  as  a  working  guide  for 
daily  living.  He  says  to  himself, 
"  If  I  can  not  believe  my  own  eyes, 
what  can  I  believe?  And  if  God 
did  not  want  me  to  believe  them, 
why  did  he  permit  me  to  have 
them  and,  indeed,  make  them 
Himself,  as  the  Bible  says  He  did? 
Can  it  be  that  God  created  me 
and  set  me  here  and  abandoned 
me  to  disastrous  illusion?  I  do 
not  believe  it."  Nor  do  we,  nor 
will  men  ever  generally.  Mrs. 
Eddy  says  that  all  this  world  which 
is  revealed  to  us  by  the  senses  is  a 
dream.  But  Kant  said  well,  ''  a 
dream  which  all  dream  together, 
50 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

and  which  all  must  dream,  is  not  a 
dream,  but  reality." 

Mrs.  Eddy's  theology  belongs 
under  the  head  of  pantheism,  the 
doctrine  that  God  is  everything 
that  is.  She  has  recently  objected 
to  this  classification,  but  while  re- 
pudiating the  name  she  retains  the 
thing  itself.  She  teaches  that  God 
alone  has  reality,  and  denies  it  to 
all  that  is  antagonistic  to  God,  in- 
cluding sin,  sickness,  and  death. 
Is  this  the  teaching  of  the  Bible? 
Far  from  it.  Sin,  we  are  taught, 
is  so  real  that  God  sent  His  only- 
begotten  Son  into  the  world  to  die 
for  its  destruction.  As  another 
has  said  :  "  What  becomes  of  the 
atonement,  when  suffering  which 


Christia7i  Science 


was  not  suffering,  in  a  body  which 
was  not  a  body,  was  offered  in  ex- 
piation for  sin  which  was  not  sin  ?" 
Surely  if  words  mean  anything,  in 
that  matterof  the  atonement  we  are 
dealing  with  stupendous  realities. 
But  how  could  God,  being  good, 
permit  sin,  sickness,  and  death  to 
come  into  His  world?  Mrs.  Eddy 
gets  around  that  by  denying  that 
they  are  here.  But  she  only  pushes 
the  difficulty  one  step  farther  back, 
for  now  the  question  is  raised,  how 
God,  being  love,  could  permit  men 
to  imagine  sin,  sickness,  and  death. 
She  has  nothing  to  say  to  that. 
In  fact,  there  Is  nothing  to  say. 
After  all,  she  is  no  better  off  than 
the  rest  of  us.  For  whether  sin, 
52 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

sickness,  and  death  are  realities  or 
imaginations,  in  any  case  they  are 
here,  and  the  question  of  their 
permission  by  a  good  God  is  still 
to  be  explained. 

When  we  examine  the  practical 
workings  of  this  system  of  ideas 
we  find  that  many  express  them- 
selves, some  with  great  enthu- 
siasm, as  having  received  benefit 
from  it.  The  reasons  of  this  suc- 
cess are  given  officially  as  follows : 
"  First,  the  restoration  of  the 
Christian  healing  of  the  apostolic 
church  ;  second,  the  establishment 
of  Christianity  on  a  scientific  and 
practically  demonstrable  basis ; 
third,  the  metaphysical  and  spir- 
itual    interpretation     of    Christ's 

53 


Christian  Science 


teaching,  representing  a  general 
and  world-wide  reaction  against 
materialism  and  externalism  in  re- 
ligion." 

First,  in  the  department  of  heal- 
ing, Christian  Science  claims  that 
it,  or  more  exactly,  Christ  working 
through  it,  cures  all  diseases  by 
destroying  the  mortal  imagination 
which  makes  them  seem  real. 
This  claim  is  based  on  Christ's 
well-known  command  to  the  apos- 
tles to  ''  heal  the  sick,  cleanse  the 
lepers,  raise  the  dead,  cast  out 
devils."  Christian  Science  pro- 
fesses to  obey  this  command  liter- 
ally. Of  course  it  is  noted  at  once 
that  it  does  not  raise  the  dead. 
The    head   lecturer   of    the    First 

54 


Its  Origin  and  Character 


Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,   Bos- 
ton, unhesitatingly  retreats  at  this 
point,    declaring    that    the   word 
dead  here  is  to  be  taken  figura- 
tively, referring  to  those  who  are 
"dead    in    trespasses    and   sins." 
Other    Christian    Scientists    take 
the  position  that  Christian  Science 
is   as   yet  only  in  its  beginnings, 
but  that  the  time  will  come  when 
it  will  literally  raise  the  dead.     Of 
course,  there  is  no  way  of  proving 
or  disproving  such  a  claim.     But 
whichever  of  these  two  ways  out 
of    this    difficulty    is     employed, 
plainly  the  issue  is  evaded.    Chris- 
tian   Science   does    not    fulfil    its 
claim   to    keep   this   command  of 
Christ  literally. 


55 


Christia7i  Science 


In  the  matter  of  healing  it  has 
certainly  achieved  some  remark- 
able results.  There  is  no  reason 
why  its  successes  should  not  be 
frankly  admitted. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  is  no 
reason  why  it  should  not  admit  its 
failures.  Formerly  it  refused  to 
do  so.  But  the  facts  have  been 
too  much  for  it,  and  it  has  changed 
on  this  point ;  to-day  failures  are 
admitted.  But  they  are  usually 
ascribed  to  some  defect  in  mental 
attitude  somewhere  in  the  family 
connection  or  the  neighborhood. 
This  strikes  the  outsider  as  a  sub- 
terfuge. For  some  such  defect 
can  always  be  found  by  looking 
far  enough.  And  even  when  con- 
56 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

ditions  are  as  favorable  as  possible, 
failure  constantly  ensues.  Chris- 
tian Science  defends  itself  by  chal- 
lenging comparison  between  its 
degree  of  success  and  that  of  the 
ordinary  physicians.  This  is  ob- 
viously an  abandonment  of  its  high 
ground.  Formerly  it  claimed  ab- 
solutely to  cure  everything;  now 
it  only  claims  to  do  better  than  the 
doctors.  But  even  this  is  only  a 
claim.  There  is  no  sufficient  evi- 
dence for  it.  Of  course  testimo- 
nials can  be  secured  by  the  ream. 
The  latest  Christian  Science 
pamphlet,  ''  Christian  Science  and 
Legislation,"  contains  twenty-five 
pages  of  testimonies  from  people 
who  say  they  have  been  healed. 

57 


Christian  Science 


These  are  really  not  worth  the 
paper  they  are  printed  on,  as  real 
evidence.  It  is  not  by  such  un- 
analyzedand  uncorroborated  state- 
ments as  these  that  truth  is  estab- 
lished. The  fact  is,  that  while 
Christian  Science  does  effect  cures 
within  certain  limits,  it  can  not  be 
depended  on.  Probably  every 
reader  of  these  lines  can  recall 
numbers  of  cases  of  people  who 
hoped  for  help  from  Christian  Sci- 
ence and  went  straight  down  to 
death,  while  some  ''healer"  stood 
by  assuring  them  that  they  were 
well.  The  world  is  as  it  is,  and  if 
Christian  Science  can  not  work  its 
cures  where  it  finds  itself,  then  it 
is  of  little  use.  It  is  not  stretch- 
58 


Its  Origifi  and  Character 


ing  the  truth  to  say  that  ''  a  suc- 
cession of  fatalities  follows  this 
movement  as  a  black  shadow." 
(Parmele.) 

Christian  Science  has  a  natural 
explanation.  Physiologists  ascribe 
it  to  autosuggestion.  It  belongs 
with  a  class  of  cures  running  back 
through  all  centuries,  and  found  in 
all  countries,  due  to  the  power, 
limited  but  real,  which  the  mind 
has  over  the  body.  Plato,  for  ex- 
ample, knew  and  recognized  it. 
By  saying  that  it  is  natural,  we  do 
not  deny  that  God  works  in  it,  for 
God  is  in  all  things.  But  by  say- 
ing that  it  is  natural,  we  mean  that 
God  works  in  it  along  ordinary 
lines   and   according  to  the  laws 

59 


Christia7i  Science 


which  He  has  established.  At  the 
shrine  of  Lourdes,  in  France,  and 
at  that  of  Saint  Anne  de  Beaupre, 
near  Quebec,  the  Christian  Science 
cures  are  abundantly  duplicated. 
In  all  cases  the  explanation  is  the 
same. 

The  second  reason  alleged  for 
the  success  of  Christian  Science, 
"the  establishment  of  Christianity 
on  a  scientific  and  practically  de- 
monstrable basis,"  is  not  a  reason 
to  one  who  uses  words  carefully. 
For  Christian  Science,  as  we  have 
seen,  has  not  an  atom  of  the  scien- 
tific in  it,  nor  has  it  even  ap- 
proached a  demonstration  of  its 
truth,  if  the  words  science  and 
demonstration  are  used,  not  in  an 
60 


Its  Origin  and  Character 


esoteric,    but    in    their    common 
meaning. 

The  third  reason  is  well  found- 
ed. Christian  Science  has  helped 
many  people  to  rise  above  care 
and  worry,  sickness  and  sorrow, 
by  throwing  themselves  on  the  love 
of  God.  It  is  sure  that  there  are 
some  troubles  God  does  not  pur- 
pose that  we  should  escape,  at  least 
in  this  world.  The  fact  that  no- 
body escapes  them,  not  even  the 
Christian  Scientists,  shows  that, 
and  the  denial  of  them  seems  to 
have  in  it  a  note  of  insincerity. 
But  there  are  many  troubles  which 
we  bear  needlessly.  Christian  Sci- 
ence here  sets  us  a  worthy  exam- 
ple.    It  reminds  us  that  we  have  a 


6i 


Christian  Science 


God  who  is  ready  to  help  us  in 
every  hour  of  need.  It  offers 
something  spiritual,  mystical,  quiet- 
ing, which  is  novel  as  a  revelation 
from  Heaven  to  some  who  have 
had  a  superficial  and  formal  relig- 
ion. In  Christian  Science  such 
people  have  caught  a  glimpse  of 
the  spiritual  side  of  religion.  That 
they  did  not  find  this  in  the  church 
shows,  perhaps,  negligence  there, 
certainly  failure  on  their  own  part 
to  make  the  most  of  their  privi- 
leges. For  it  is  needless  to  say 
that  spiritual  religion  is  nobody's 
monopoly,  but  is  always  to  be 
found  by  such  as  are  hungry 
for  it. 

But  even  on  the  side  where  it 
62 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

has  had  some  desert  of  success, 
Christian  Science  exposes  itself 
to  two  just  criticisms.  The  first 
is  that  holding  the  idea  that  per- 
fect happiness  comes  by  the  elim- 
ination of  trouble,  especially  sick- 
ness, it  has  no  place  for  the  heroic 
element  in  character.  For  while 
there  is  no  benefit  to  be  secured 
by  directly  seeking  trouble,  and 
while  it  is  natural  and  right  for  us 
to  escape  trouble  as  far  as  possible, 
yet  to  accept  it  when  it  becomes 
inevitable,  and  to  endure  it  man- 
fully, brings  out  the  very  best 
there  is  in  us.  If  trial  were  not 
here,  this  world  would  not  be  half 
as  glorious  a  place  to  live  in  as  it 
is.   Christian  Science  has  no  recog- 

63 


Christian  Science 


nition  of  this  fact.  It  has  no  sym- 
pathy, for  example,  with  the  senti- 
ment of  such  lines  as  the  follow- 
ing, which  have  brought  comfort 
to  thousands  in  the  midst  of  the 
stress  and  storm  of  life  : 

"I  can  not  say 
Beneath  the  pressure  of  life's  cares  to-day, 

I  joy  in  these; 

But  I  can  say 
That  I  had  rather  walk  this  rugged  way 

If  Him  it  please. 

"  I  can  not  feel 
That  all  is  well,  when  darkening  clouds  con- 
ceal 

The  shining  sun; 
But  then  I  know 
God  lives  and  loves;  and  say,  since  it  is  so, 
'Thy  will  be  done.' 


64 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

"  I  can  not  speak 
In  happy  tones;  tear-drops  on  my  cheek 

Show  I  am  sad  ; 

But  I  can  speak 
Of  grace  to  suffer,  with  submission  meek, 

Until  made  glad. 

"  I  do  not  see 
Why  God  should  e'en  permit  some  things  to 
be, 

When  He  is  love  ; 
But  I  can  see 
Though  often  dimly,  through  a  mystery. 
His  hand  above." 

The  other  criticism  is  that  Chris- 
tian Science  as  a  movement  is  not 
with  the  great  philanthropies  of 
the  world.  In  ''  Science  and 
Health"  Mrs.  Eddy  shows  an 
undisguised  hardness  toward  the 
poor.  And  those  who  have  Chris- 
tian  Science   friends   must    have 

65 


Christian  Science 


been  shocked  many  a  time  by 
their  careful  avoidance  of  places 
where  anything  painful  might  be 
met,  and  their  indifference  to  the 
common  troubles  of  other  people. 
This  is  naturally  involved  in  their 
position  that  trouble  has  no  real- 
ity. The  result,  tho  undesigned, 
looks  perilously  like  selfishness. 
Each  Christian  Scientist  seems 
pretty  much  bent  on  looking  after 
his  own  welfare. 

In  later  years,  it  is  true,  the  nat- 
urally humane  feeling  of  the  heart 
has  reasserted  itself,  and  the  phil- 
anthropic spirit  is  recognized  in 
two  ways,  by  voluntarily  giving 
"treatments  "  for  those  in  trouble, 
sometimes  in  presence,  sometimes 

66 


Its  Origin  and  Character 

in  absence,  and  by  offering  these 
''  treatments  "  free  in  hospitals  and 
asylums  and  in  the  slums. 

In  later  years  also,  it  is  said, 
Mrs.  Eddy  has  been  in  the  habit 
of  giving  away  personally  the 
munificent  sum  of  about  $80,000 
annually  ''  to  miscellaneous  and 
undenominational  charities.  She 
supplies  hundreds  of  pairs  of  shoes 
each  winter  to  the  poor  children 
of  her  native  city  of  Concord,  New 
Hampshire,  gives  to  hospitals  and 
churches  (other  than  Christian 
Science  churches),  and  in  other 
ways  exhibits  a  practical  charity 
which  is  truly  Christian."  (Mat- 
tox.) 

Assuredly  we  should  rejoice  in 

67 


Chris tiaii  Science 


these  things.  Yet  amiable  as  is 
their  inconsistency  with  the  sys- 
tem of  ''Science  and  Health,"  it 
must  be  pointed  out  that  it  is  an  in- 
consistency. To  denounce  drugs, 
surgery  and  doctors,  as  well  as  the 
teachings  of  the  Christian  church- 
es, and  then  to  give  money  for 
their  support,  would  seem  to  indi- 
cate that  the  denunciation  was 
never  really  sincere,  or  that  Mrs. 
Eddy's  mind  has  changed.  The 
ingenious  defense  has  been  worked 
out,  that  if  people  will  not  be 
Christian  Scientists,  and  will  fol- 
low old  religious  and  medical  ideas, 
then  for  such  incorrigibles  prob- 
ably their  false  beliefs  are  better 
than  nothing  at  all,  and  may  prop- 

68 


Its  Origin  arid  Character 

erly  be  supported  in  a  degree  by- 
Mrs.  Eddy.  But  this  is  mere 
trifling.  If  Mrs.  Eddy  is  sure  that 
she  has  the  eternal  truth  of  God, 
while  the  rest  of  us  are  believing 
lies,  it  is  immoral  in  her  to  sup- 
port us  in  our  belief. 

From  what  has  been  said  already 
it  is  obvious  that  Christian  Science 
is  not  in  all  things  just  what  it  was 
say  twenty  years  ago.  As  it  has 
gone  along  on  its  career,  like  all 
things  human,  it  has  experienced 
change.  To-day  it  is  less  self-con- 
tradictory than  it  used  to  be,  and 
concedes  more  to  universally  ac- 
cepted ideas.  It  has  trimmed  to 
weather  the  fierce  blasts  of  criti- 
cism it  has  had  to  meet. 


ChiHstian  Science 


One  fundamental  fault,  however, 
always  persists  and  seems  to  be  an 
inevitable  accompaniment  of  it  in 
all  its  exponents  ;  a  hazy,  inexact, 
and  shifting  quality  of  both  thought 
and  speech.  Tho  one  may  point 
out  self-contradictions  in  it,  they 
seem  to  mean  nothing  to  its  advo- 
cates, who  always  reply  with  some 
fresh  nebulosity.  For  example, 
Mrs.  Eddy  denies  that  the  physical 
senses  of  man  have  reality.  But 
in  the  Christian  Sciejice  Jotirnal 
(June,  1904),  we  read:  ''It  has 
been  asked,  Do  you  mean  to  say 
that  this  wonderful  piece  of  mech- 
anism called  the  body  is  an  illu- 
sion, and  that  all  the  beautiful 
things  in  nature  are  but  myths  ? 
70 


Its  Origi7i  and  Character 

[sic].  We  answer,  such  is  not  the 
teaching  of  Christian  Science." 
''Mrs.  Eddy  teaches  that  the  senses 
of  man  are  spiritual."  For  the 
moment  let  us  stick  to  one  term 
and  speak  of  one  thing:  \h.^ phys- 
ical senses  of  man.  As  physical 
are  they  reality  or  illusion  ?  If  the 
latter  (as  Mrs.  Eddy  teaches),  why 
try  to  get  the  benefit  of  claiming 
disingenuously  that  Christian  Sci- 
ence holds  to  their  reality,  when 
the  writer  knows  that  he  is  speak- 
ing not  oi  physical  hMl  of  spiritual 
senses  ?  Samples  of  this  sort  of 
vagueness  and  inconsequentiality 
in  Christian  Science  arguments 
might  be  cited  indefinitely. 

Already  some  followers  of  Chris- 


Christian  Science 


tian  Science  have  left  It,  thrown 
aside  some  of  the  most  glaring  of 
its  inconsistencies,  and  written 
books  giving  the  substance  of  the 
system  with  a  clearness  and  con- 
sistency beyond  Mrs.  Eddy's  ca- 
pacity. Naturally  she  protests 
against  such  unauthorized  exposi- 
tions. *'  Plagiarism,"  she  says, 
''from  my  writings  is  so  common 
it  is  becoming  odious  to  honest 
people ;  and  such  compilations, 
instead  of  possessing  the  essen- 
tials of  Christian  Science,  are 
tempting  and  misleading."  (In 
passing  we  may  note  the  singular- 
ity of  this  protest  in  connection 
with  the  relation  between  Mrs. 
Eddy  and  Dr.  Quimby.)     And  re- 


Its  Origin  and  Chai^acter 

cently  one  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  official 
advocates  has  said  :  '*  There  is  no 
teacher  of  Christian  Science,  no 
lecturer,  no  writer  for  its  periodi- 
cals who  ever  uttered  anything  of 
value  concerning  this  Science  and 
its  practise,  who  did  not  in  so 
doing,  cross  and  recross  the  same 
ground  which  Mrs.  Eddy  covered 
in  a  better  way,  many  years  be- 
fore." But  in  spite  of  all  such 
protests,  and  the  iron-clad  provis- 
ions of  the  Christian  Science 
church  to  prevent  change,  change 
has  come  and  will  come  still  more. 
Undoubtedly  Christian  Science 
has  been  held  together  somewhat 
by  the  personal  devotion  of  many 
of  its  followers  to  ''The  Mother." 

73 


Ch  ristia it  Science 


A  few  years  ago  this  devotion  be- 
came so  extreme  in  its  language 
and  actions  that  Mrs.  Eddy  her- 
self saw  that  it  was  time  to  call  a 
halt.  The  existence  of  a  living 
leader,  claiming  to  be  with  Christ 
the  great  revealer  of  religion  to 
mankind,  has  supplied  that  per- 
sonal element  which  has  meant  so 
much  in  great  religious  move- 
ments, without  regard  to  their 
merits.  What  will  happen  when 
Mrs.  Eddy  dies  no  one  can,  at 
present,  easily  foresee. 

Looking  over  the  voluminous 
contributions  of  Christian  Science 
to  religious  literature,  one  can  not 
but  be  impressed  with  its  extraor- 
dinary defects:  its  essential  misun- 

74 


Its  Origm  and  Character 

derstanding  of  the  thought  of  the 
world  which  it  assumes  to  supple- 
ment, its  ignorance  of  all  that 
modern  culture  stands  for,  its  in- 
fantile logic,  its  offensive  preten- 
tiousness, its  slippery  casuistry.  It 
is  incredible  that  anybody  should 
seriously  believe  in  the  survival, 
much  more  the  ultimate  universal- 
ity, of  a  system  which  affronts  in- 
telligence so  deeply  at  almost 
every  point,  for  there  is  at  its  root 
an  essential  denial  of  God  in  its 
refusal  to  recognize  Him  in  His 
w^orks,  and  perhaps  an  even  more 
radical  denial  of  Him  in  its  refusal 
to  recognize  Him  in  the  age-long 
thinking  of  humanity. 


75 


DATE  DUE 

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GAYLORD 

FKl-vTED  IN  U.S.A. 

